The Last Spark
by Blazing Mind
Summary: Throughout the years, the Fire Nation has continuously brought about destruction and pain to all the other nations. Would the world be better off if the entire nation were wiped off the map? Some believe so... Follow Mira as she escapes the destruction of her home and strives to prove that ones fate is not decided by the nation you are born into.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Notes: Hey all! I'm a new aspiring author and would appreciate any feedback on my stories. Any ideas on how to be more detailed, provide better descriptions, or any other tips would be great! I will attempt to write at least one chapter a week so stay tuned if you enjoy what I write!**

Chapter 1

Pure unadulterated power and energy in its truest form. As one of the four elements, fire was the most dangerous of them all. It's almost as if fire has an undying hunger of its own. A single spark contains the power to grow into a raging wildfire and consume an entire countryside. The other elements, water, earth, and air, all have the potential to destroy, but never do they leap out of their predestined paths and take on a mind of their own. A spilled cup of water will not grow into a flood. A breeze from the fan of a servant will not twist and turn into the form of hurricane. And a pebble kicked loose by the shoe of a traveler will not change into a boulder or bring about an earthquake. Fire is different in this way. The embers from a poorly tended campfire can leap outside of its rocky pit and devour the dry grass nearby. Long after a traveler thinks his fire has been extinguished, the coals will continue to glow and wait for an opportunity to devour its next fuel source. This is simply the nature of fire. If tended properly it can provide warmth and life, otherwise it will quickly turn on the hands of its creator.

The ones who seek to control this power call themselves firebenders. As one can imagine, anyone who chooses to commit to the art of firebending must master control, or risk losing themselves to their lust for strength. For many firebenders, this lust for power is too strong to control. They relish in the passion and power of the flames. There have been a few great leaders amongst their nation, but history tends to repeat itself over and over as once more, an emperor rises up and ignites the spark to set the nation ablaze with war once again. And yet, the world always returns to a state of peace thanks to the Avatar, the master of all four elements.

The Avatar's role has always been to maintain peace and order in both the physical and spirit realms. As war between the nations rises up, so does a new Avatar to put an end to the fighting and restore order to the world. Many emperors and kings have tried to fight the Avatar, but with mastery over all four elements, it poses a difficult task. The endless cycle continues to repeat itself. War and strife followed by peace and order. Like Tui and La, constantly circling each other and repeating the cycle. But just as a river changes course over time, a cycle cannot continue on unchanged forever.

Year 619 A.A.

Mira turned her head and closed her eyes as heat flashed up at her. Even from a distance the flames could be felt by all who watched. Bright orange and yellow fire blazed past a young man standing in the middle of the arena. Flames licked at his face and arms as he just barely moved from its path of destruction. The boy dodging the flames couldn't have been any older than 18. His body glistened with sweat, not only from the heat but also from the exertion. He had been fighting hard against his much larger opponent for a good ten minutes. Much longer than most fights lasted. His body was lean and toned from years on the street. A dragon tattoos curled from his shoulder, traveling around his arm ending near his wrist. Despite his heavy breathing and exhausted demeanor, he flashed a smile at his opponent, waiting for the next move.

Another blast of flame came roaring towards the young boy as his opponent lashed out with a combination of hooks and backhanded strikes. The boy ducked low into a roll, using his smaller stature to his advantage to slip beneath his enemy's guard. As he came up from his roll he pushed off the ground with both hands, kicking up at the larger gladiator with the force of his entire body. As his feet contacted the body of his opponent a massive blast of fire exploded from the impact, rocketing his opponent away.

Mira despised these duels. They took a beautiful artform like firebending and turned it into a brutal sport for mass entertainment. Some fought for glory and so-called honor, and others fought because they were forced to. Ten years ago, the emperor had created a decree that any criminal wishing to earn his freedom would be given the option to fight in arena. The only catch was any fighter who lost in the arena was put to death. Nothing gets people more excited than watching a man fight with every ounce of his being to save his own life. Mira contemplated what the young boy in the arena must have done to deserve imprisonment.

"Mira! Mira!"

Mira quickly snapped to attention. The emperor glared down at her in annoyance once he saw that she had been hiding her face from the battle.

"Is the entertainment not to your liking?" He asked, gazing back at the arena.

"No, my lord, the flames were simply becoming too much for me." She replied, looking at the ground, hoping he did not grow angry.

He snorted in disgust, "A real firebender should relish in the heat of the flames, not shy away from it. Either way, I'm out of wine." He shook his glass at her, waiting for her to refill it.

With a deep bow, Mira took the glass and rushed out of the viewing box, eager to get away from the roar of the crowd and the heat of the battle. She grabbed a large clay jug and poured what was left of it into the cup the emperor had given her. There was barely enough to fill it even halfway! The emperor was a man who enjoyed his wine and she knew he would not be pleased to see they had run out. Thinking quickly, she grabbed the glass and rushed down the stairs that lead deeper into the coliseum.

The air was cool and damp as Mira descended deeper into the magnificent building. At each separate level, one could look out past the massive stone columns and see the crowd on its feet, cheering for blood and burns. Mira spent almost every weekend here. The emperor relished the blood sport he had created and spent every possible moment he could at the coliseum. Consequently, he dragged all his favorite handmaids along with him. The stairs rounded one final corner, then opened to a long hallway, filled with servants and gladiators hustling about their own duties. Rows of torches did little to brighten the dark cavernous room. Mira scrunched up her nose as the smell of blood, sweat, and other unmentionable odors assaulted her. The servants' quarters were no place for a handmaid like herself, but she knew she had to find more drink for the emperor before he grew angry. She wove through the crowd and in between boxes, trying to find what she was searching for.

Mira let out a squeak of surprise as she was yanked backwards, a man tugging at her dress. "Please help me!" He groaned loudly and held her dress tightly in his fist. She gasped in shock when she saw the burns covering the man's body. His entire right side of his body was burned. The skin was an angry red and swelling and blistering all over the affected area. Some parts even looked charred and black. Mira's eyes teared up as she saw the severity of this man's injuries.

A large hand reached past her and gripped the man's arm, forcing him to let go. "Leave her be, Avoron." His grip was rough, yanking the arm away as he looked at the man in disgust. "It's just a few burns. Nothing any other fighter hasn't suffered before. Quit your whining."

Mira gave the burnt man one last look and then scurried off trying to put as much distance between her and the brutalized man. Her mind reeled at the gruffness of the other man who yanked Avoron's hand away. No sympathy could be found in his voice or his touch. What kind of torture did these men endure that a burn of that severity was brushed off like a sprained ankle? Finally, she reached the end of the room where casks of wine were being held. She wrapped her arms around the clay jug and lifted, stumbling backwards as she tried to adjust for the weight.

"Need some help with that?" A deep, voice asked as Mira felt a hand reach out and grip hers where she held the jug. "That looks awfully heavy and we wouldn't want you getting hurt down here."

She turned to face the voice and saw three large men all standing in a circle watching her. All three were well muscled from years of fighting and showed burns and scars all across their bodies. The man with his hand on hers gripped it harder, causing her to wince in pain.

"I don't want any trouble sirs." She held her head up high and stared them down, doing her best to show no fear in the face of these grizzled fighters.

"You shouldn't have intruded on our turf then little lady." The largest one grinned and took a step closer.

Mira took a deep breath in, weighing her options and spoke when she was sure her voice wouldn't quaver, "I am the emperor's handmaiden. I am a powerful firebender trained by the imperial master himself. You will regret it if you try anything with me." Her eyes blazed with fury.

The men laughed hard, a rough, mocking laughter. One of the men grabbed the jug of wine from her and smashed it against the table near Mira, wine splattering over her dress, soaking her.

"I don't know about my boys but I'm curious to see this magnificent display of firebending you speak of. Show me." He accentuated this last phrase by shoving his finger hard against her small frame, causing her to stumble backwards and fall onto her backside.

She raised her hands in defense in an effort to keep the men away when everything around them began to rumble. It was not a small rumble, like that of a table being moved across a stone floor, or a barrel rolling across the ground. This was the sound of the very earth beneath their feet moving. Like the sound of an avalanche cascading down a mountain, or what Mira imagined a herd of Cow Hippo's would sound like if one were to lay in the midst of it. She dove for a table nearby as the ceiling began to crumble and the three men who were harassing her scattered, trying to find cover. Dust filled the room, causing Mira to cough and cover her face with her wine-soaked dress. The sound grew louder and louder as more rubble cascaded from the ceiling in larger chunks. Stones began to pile up around her as she tried to press herself as close to the wall as possible. Then, everything went black. Mira could no longer see what was happening and could only wait as the deep rumbling sound filled her ears and blocked out all other senses.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Rei tumbled across the sand from the force of the explosion. His tactic had been risky, and some might even say reckless, but he knew he had to try something a bit reckless and unexpected to gain the upper hand on his opponent. He pressed his hands against the sand to try and regain his footing incase his opponent was much tougher than he assumed. He knew he had to be prepared for anything. His life was hanging in the balance of this fight. He could taste the grit between his teeth from tumbling across the sand and spit out what he could. He wasn't surprised to see a significant amount of blood along with the spittle he expelled from his mouth. The roar of the crowd started to come back to him and he realized he had not even noticed that it had disappeared. His ears slowly stopped ringing as he stood up and looked around.

Katoa, Rei's opponent, lay face down in the sand. His body still smoking from the massive force of the explosion that Rei had produced from his rolling kick. The crowd began to chant, "Blood and burns! Blood and burns!". There were only two ways to end a fight in the arena. Either the loser was executed by the victor, or the emperor could pardon your life if he wished to see you fight another day. Rei looked up to the emperor's viewing box, waiting for a signal from him to finish the job or spare the man's life. The emperor nodded, signaling his consent to finish the job. Rei stepped forward, gripped the man by the back of his long black mane and pulled his head up, exposing his neck. A jet of flames appeared at the end of rays clenched fist, like a dagger waiting to plunge into the neck of his enemy. He focused the stream of fire until it was a white-hot point and roaring from the amount of oxygen it consumed. Just as Rei's struck to finish the man's life, Katoa rolled and threw his elbow out so it caught Rei squarely in the jaw, knocking him from his position atop Katoa.

The crowd gasped in surprise at the sudden change of events as everyone began to roar and scream in excitement. Never had they witnessed a fight with so many twists and tricks be employed. Both men struggled not only to overpower the other, but also to outwit each other. Every step and strike was part of a larger strategy, like a calculated plan in the game of Pai Sho.

Rei reeled from the elbow strike but quickly regained his footing and rushed toward Katoa, hoping to catch him off guard still. Rei's daggers of fire sliced lines through the air, consuming anything that entered their path. He knew he was faster than his opponent but could easily be overpowered if he waited too long and let Katoa regain his composer and focus for a more powerful strike. The young boy dodged and feigned an imaginary strike at Katoa's face, causing him to block high as Rei switched his stance and cut a long gash in the gladiator's leg. The flesh sizzled as the concentrated jet of flame burned through his skin.

Katoa roared in pain and anger but staggered on his newly wounded leg. Even the emperor stood at the edge of his podium, knuckles white with anticipation. The wounded veteran of the arena looked in shock at his burnt skin. Never had he even considered this puny little boy would be the death of him in the arena. Prisoner executions were supposed to be the easy part of a gladiator's job. Most of the men who came into the sand pit were scrawny, malnourished, and sought out the competition as last-ditch effort for their miserable lives. This boy he fought now was nothing like those other men. The fire had not died in his eyes and he fought with a passion unlike any other. Katoa breathed in deeply, drawing at the strength he had left to finish the fight. He knew it would be his last-ditch effort this time around.

Fire began to form and grow around Katoa. He entered a series of complicated movements, trying to avoid using his injured leg but throwing everything he had into it. People in the crowd had to cover their faces as the heat grew to immense proportions. The flames spun around the man faster and faster as if he were in the center of a storm, set alight by fire.

The emperor watched in rapture, bloody red firelight reflected in his eyes, as the scrawny prisoner he had sentenced to death took up a fighter's stance and charged. He ran straight towards the spinning inferno and leaped at the last moment. A burst of flames from his feet pushed him past what any normal man could accomplish with strength alone. His leap pushed him up and over the torrent of flames as he dove head first into the maelstrom of fire.

With a sudden abruptness that silenced even the most excitable crowd members, the massive tornado of fire dissipated with a whoosh, as if it had never existed in the first place. In the center stood Rei, chest heaving, as he stared down at the defeated Kratoa. The entire stadium erupted into cheers and began shouting the young prisoners name, "Rei! Rei! Rei!"

The emperor raised his hand to quiet the crowds. It took a solid half minute before even he could silence the noise.

"A most incredible display of power young man!" His voice echoed over the stadium. "What name do you go by boy?"

Rei looked up, unsure of how to address the emperor. "I am called Rei m'lord."

"Rei, you have surprised us all here at the coliseum today. Where did you learn to fight and conquer such an opponent as one of our trained gladiators? That was truly a marvelous fight!"

Rei contemplated the questions for a few seconds, thinking back on all the fights he experienced in the past. "I learn from watching my lord emperor. I guess I'm just a fast learner." He said with a confident smirk.

The emperor laughed heartily, "Not quite fast enough to escape being arrested and captured though, were you?" The emperor retorted, wiping the smirk off Rei's face. "It would be a shame to let such a talented fighter like yourself go to waste. You will live to fight another day!"

The crowd cheered at this, excited to see what this young boy's next fight would be.

"Does that mean I go free?" Rei asked aloud, but the roar of the crowd was too deafening for him to be heard.

Two heavily armored Fire Nation soldiers walked to him and gripped him by both arms as they escorted him out of the arena. Their faces were masked by the grinning visage of a demon on their helmets. They bore large sections of layered armor on their shoulders, chest, and legs, completely covered in the thick metal. Rei wondered how they could even move in such heavy armor. He could still hear the roar of the crowd as the massive wooden gates closed behind him and he entered the dimly lit interior of the coliseum. His eyes took some time to adjust to the lighting, for the sun had been high in the sky when he fought.

"When will I be let free?" He asked the two guards escorting him, looking to one and then the other for an answer.

He received no reply from either as they continued walking him further into twisting hallways. They walked him through crowds of other fighters in silence. Some people lay on cots, badly burned, while others stood stretching or practicing their forms for their next match. The guards brought Rei to an open holding cell and gave him a shove on his back. He stumbled forward and stopped, "What the hell is this? The emperor said I would be free!"

One guard gave a half-hearted chuckle, muffled by his full-face mask, "Free to fight another day. Be grateful you are not being executed and the emperor enjoyed your match. You will be treated like a champion here if you know how to play your cards right. Take my advice kid and don't fight it."

Rei let out a beastial roar as he rushed the still open door, letting out a burst of flames from his fist. The guard caught his hand and the flame fizzled out as if it had been smothered by a wet blanket. Reversing his momentum, Rei pulled with all his strength on the guard, toppling his balance and striking him on the back of the head as he stumbled forward. The second guard was quick to action and let loose a torrent of flames. Fueled by his rage at being lied to, Rei ducked low, pulling at the man's arm. But instead of moving behind him he leapt up, striking the man between the gap in his armor at his throat. The guard gasped for air as he was not only hit by the powerful strike, but his own weight was used against him as he was pulled into the attack.

Rei didn't stick around to see if the men would have a chance to give chase again. He simply ran. Dodging between men, trying to lose himself in the crowd while planning his escape. He had escaped this way many times before in the streets of the city. He was not about to let himself be signed off for a life of servitude in the arena. Just as he was rounding a corner and spotted a stairway up to the surface, a massive tremor shook the floor and caused him to fall to the ground. He landed heavily, rolling onto his back. He coughed for a moment and looked around as other people also tried to gain their balance. The entire floor seemed to be heaving up around him. The dust fell on his face as he looked up at the ceiling as a massive chunk of rock plummeted down from above, aimed directly for his prone body.

 _"Damn_." He thought, moments before the rock fell from the ceiling, " _This is just not my day_."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Dust clouded the air, making it difficult to breath or even see clearly. Rei's chest heaved as his lungs tried to expel the dust from his body. He coughed over and over as he rolled away from the rubble that had nearly crushed him. Light filtered in from one corner of the room where there had been no window before, causing a beam of sunlight dance across the dusty room. Moans could be heard from all around the room as people tried to stand and figure out what had just occurred.

"What the hell just happened?" A large man covered in tattoos from head to foot exclaimed, lifting his massive body up from where he was kneeling. He stood at least a head taller than Rei. "Was there an explosion?"

Rei's head snapped around as he heard something. At first, he thought it was another tremor, but this sounded very different from any earthquake or explosion. "Guys get dow…" He tried to yell out just as the roof shook once more and the hole in the wall widened. A massive chunk of stone flew through the gap, slamming into the man standing next to him, just a few feet away. The man took the brunt of the blow to his right side, spinning him around as the rock hit his body. He dropped to the ground screaming, holding his injured shoulder with his other arm.

"We're under attack!" They heard someone shout. "It's the Earth Kingdom!"

It finally all made sense. The earthquake before, the stone flying through the air like it was launched from a catapult. The Earth Kingdom had finally made its move. There had always been a deep-seated hatred between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation. The Earth Kingdom was the most powerful Nation in known world. They had the most land, the most people, and the grandest cities. Compared to the Earth Kingdom, the entire Fire Nation was no bigger than one of the Earth Kingdom cities. The Fire Nation constantly attempted to conquer and expand onto Earth Kingdom territory on the premise that they needed more land to expand and the Earth Kingdom had more than enough to spare. Each Nation constantly fought over new territory. What the Fire Nation lacked in numbers, they made up for with sheer determination and passion for battle. Earth Benders had always been content to sit inside their walled cities and never take the first initiative, until now. It seemed that the Earth Kingdom had finally taken the fight to the capital city of the Fire Nation, and they were intent on breaking down the very city itself.

A tremendous groan and roar shook the very floor itself as the coliseum was assaulted from the outside. The silhouette of a man in full battle armor suddenly blocked the light coming in from the outside. He took a low fighting stance, arms raised above his head, then balled his hands into fists and pulled down at the earthen ceiling. Rei had seen earthbenders fight before and knew exactly what was coming next. He dove from where he was standing, doing a quick somersault to find cover underneath a nearby table. Halfway through his roll his legs collided with something firm.

"OW! This is my hiding spot!" Mira cried out as a body collided with her underneath the table. She gasped as she recognized the face of the boy as he landed on his back and looked up at her. She quickly backed up further against the stone wall behind her. "You're the fighter from the arena!" She gasped one more, this time out of horror instead of surprise. "That means you're a criminal!"

Rei rolled his eyes and grabbed her by the wrist. "If you don't want this building coming down on all of our heads then we need to go now, ok?" He knew this girl was only going to slow him down, but he couldn't bring himself to leave her here to be buried under a pile of rubble. She was no gladiator like these other men. They could handle themselves in a fight, and most were sentenced to death or a lifetime in the arena. This young maid looked like she had never even killed a spider.

Mira began to protest but was cut short as Rei yanked her arm hard, dragging her out from underneath her cover just as a massive chunk of the roof caved in on top of her hiding place. Her eyes went wide and she stopped struggling against him. She looked around the room like a cornered animal, trying to find the next place to escape to.

Several of the gladiators had identified their chance to fight, and possibly escape, and had already taken down the lone earthbender attempting to collapse the ceiling around them. Lucky for Mira and Rei, the path out was now open. Rei pulled her along, encouraging her to run faster and escape the collapsing building.

Mira climbed hand and foot to the top of the rubble mound that led to the opening in the wall, the rough stones scraping at her knees and fingers. She blinked rapidly, the light blinding her for a moment as she exited the dusty room. The fresh air smelled like heaven. She hadn't realized until now how horrid the holding room of the coliseum really was until she was out in the fresh air. A fleeting thought entered her mind and she hoped that she would never again have to suffer the fact of growing use to a smell so terrible. Once her eyes adjusted and she looked up, tears sprang to her eyes. The city -her city- was in ruins. Everywhere she looked buildings were crumbling as earthbenders tore them apart. Anything not made of stone or too large for them to bend was being bombarded by boulders flying through the air.

"We have to run, now!" Rei was holding her by the shoulders and gently shaking her to get her attention.

She snapped back into the moment, "Where?" She asked, her voice catching as a sob attempted to escape. "Our homes are gone!" She had to yell in order to be heard over the sound of the destruction.

"I know somewhere safe, just trust me." He beckoned with one hand, looking back over his shoulder as he started to jog towards the city.

Mira's heart was racing, and she wasn't sure if she would be able to breath for a moment, but the adrenaline in her blood was telling her to run. She gathered up her dress and ran from the coliseum without looking back. She didn't care if that disgusting place was torn down. It didn't bring her any joy to think about it though.

Rei guided her to the outskirts of the city where the fighting was not as bad. Every time they heard a boom from an earthbenders boulder they would take a new alley and attempt to go around them. Mira had never been to this part of the city before. As a handmaiden she was given a place to stay in the palace and only went out for errands in the fancier part of the city. Out here the buildings were dark greys and browns instead of the rich red and deep black of the Fire Nation colors. Garbage littered the alley ways and everything seemed to hold onto a wet, moldy smell.

Her breath came as ragged pants as she tried to speak, "How much further?" She managed to gasp out.

Rei suddenly turned to her and wrapped his hand over her mouth, pinning her to the wall with his forearm against her chest. Her big green eyes grew even bigger as he pressed against her. He looked directly into her eyes as he let out a silent, "Shhhh". His eyes flicked to the side, signaling something was amiss. Slowly he pulled his hand away and motioned for her to stay put and not make a sound. He ran straight towards the stone wall of the building opposite her and quietly grabbed onto the ledge above, swinging his body up and on top of the roof. He soon vanished out of site, leaving Mira panting and shaking in fear.

Soon she heard the footsteps of the soldiers as well. Heavy, armor clad boots thumped against the cobblestone road. She knew they were coming right towards the alley she was hiding in, but she couldn't make her legs move. Instead she clamped a hand over her own mouth in an attempt to silence her breathing. They walked closer with each step. Mira had no idea what she was going to do if they found her. They had only to turn their head to the side and look down the alley as they crossed to see her standing there in her bright red dress.

The men slowly walked into view. Dark green and sandy brown armor covered their bodies. They didn't wear face masks like the Fire Nation soldiers, but Mira couldn't get a good look at their faces from her hiding spot. One was heavily bearded, and the other had dark brown skin, darker than Mira had ever seen. The Earth Kingdom emblem, a circular coin with a square cut out of the center, emblazoned their armor. Each one carried a spear with them as well, but she knew they didn't need weapons to hurt her. She watched as they both walked past her hiding spot until one stopped.

The dark man stopped, placing a hand on the shoulder of his partner saying something about regrouping with the rest of the army. Both turned around at the same time as Mira made eye contact with them. A cry escaped her closed mouth.

Before she could even comprehend what was happening, Rei dropped down from a nearby roof onto the back of the bearded solider. The sturdy man stumbled forward but held his footing until Rei placed his hands under the mans chin from behind and pulled with all his strength. As the man had been trying to regain his balance from being struck on the back, he could not stop the sudden change in direction as he was pulled backwards. Rei quickly stomped the soldiers head, his helmet ringing off the stone like a dull bell. He turned to face the next soldier just as the spear was thrust towards his belly. He barely had time to react as he jumped backwards, just barely dodging the point of the spear. He pulled on the fire from within his body as he gained some distance and launched a massive flurry of blows at the dark-skinned soldier. A wall of thick stone sprang up between them and the flames rolled over it harmlessly. Just as quickly as it sprang up, the stone wall burst into chunks and flew at him as deadly missiles. Unlike flames which took time to burn a target, a well-placed stone could kill an unprotected man.

Rei quickly realized he could not fight at range like this. The one advantage he had was fighting in close quarters where the earthebender would not have time to lift a deadly chunk of earth and hurl it towards him. Dodging between the projectiles, he inched closer and closer to his assailant.

" _Just a little closer_." He thought as the Earth Kingdom soldier began to retreat with each stone hurled in his direction.

Then with lightning speed, Rei dashed to the side and pushed off the nearby wall with his feet. The movement pushed him high into the air where he kicked out towards the soldier. His foot connected with the thick metal of his enemy's helmet. The soldier stumbled backwards as Rei closed in on him. He gave the man no time to recover and quickly struck out with both hands, palms facing out, as a huge torrent of flames burst out of him and threw the soldier backwards into a wall. He landed with a dull thud and stopped moving.

Mira looked at Rei with horror in her eyes. "You killed him didn't you?"


End file.
